Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Reviews by derricksmalls:

More User Reviews:

4/5 rDev +6.7%

Thought that this was an ok beer. Nothing too much exciting about it--malt sweetness is about it, with muted flavors otherwise. However, it doesn't offend either, which is better than many beers. Very drinkable, with a low ABV, and if I ran into again, I would consider it. There is a place in the world for good, yet boring, beer. (335 characters)

Appearance: Pours a beautiful, clear, deep, dark, amber/mahogany color with a half of a finger of white-colored head that quickly dissolved away into thin lacing of foam that partially covered the top of the beer.

Taste: Delicious! Tons of bready, biscuit-like, toasted malt up front, followed by lots of black pepper, honey and caramel-like sweetness, a hint of citrus and a hint, a whisper, really, of hops at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and nicely effervescent, as there’s quite a bit of carbonation to tickle the taste buds. With an ABV of 4.9%, there is no alcohol on the palate.

T- Toasty and flavorful grains as in the aroma with a very clean and crisp taste. Slight medium caramelized sugars, toast, biscuit, cereal grains, pale candi sugar and just a hint of fruit and spice. Slight spicy hops and bready hints.

MF- Puffy light-medium body with a high end carbonation level. Texture is crisp and smooth with very low bitterness.

Clean and toasty with those Vienna malts doing most of the work. Appears deeper in color but still drinks very easily and smoothly thanks to those grains. (829 characters)

While many American brewers are happy to dip their toe into the traditional European styles, few actually claim the authentic taste, technique and recipe that garners such praise. But those laborious efforts of Devil's Backbone deserves it!

Their Vienna lager pours with a bright golden color with copper and garnet ribbons. One whiff and a juicy malt aroma exudes. Malty and toasted scents weave into a taste that's right smack-dab in the middle of creamy malt and sweet.

As the flavors open up, the middle palate shares the toastiness of fresh baking bread and toasty croissant. Malt sweetness is playfully volumnous but shies away from caramel; instead prefers the creamy cashew and elegant drinkabiity with herbal noble hop flavors of honeysuckle and tea-like earthiness to ground the taste.

Its delicate and malty-dry finish is medium-light and never challenges the palate. Its high drinkability and soothing texture develops into an herbal bitterness to finish that's only intense enough to offset the trailing malts, revealing a near minty flavor and feel in its wake. (1,078 characters)

Poured into a becker a clear rich bronze with a well defined half finger white head that was pretty quick to fade.Aromas mainly of caramel doughy malt,flavors start out with caramel malt notes along with a whiskey-ish element to it,a decent smattering of spicy hops in the finish.A solid vienna lager not overly sweet with a nice amount of hops.A good beer for yard work and opening day Tiger baseball! (402 characters)

12 oz bottle pours a clear amber body with a small offwhite head. Minimal lacing and retention.Aroma is toasty caramel and biscuit with vague fruit esters and some earthy hops.Mouthfeel is creamy and light medium bodied with appropriate moderate carbonation.Taste is loaded with caramel maltiness, accented by a pleasant nuttiness and a strong biscuity presence. Earthy hops add an even, if subdued, balancing bitterness.Very clean and goes down well, very well. One of the better American lagers I've sampled in recent months. (531 characters)

One of the better examples of the style I have had in a while. Pours deep copper with nice carbonation and decent head. Nice and malty I would get a six pack of this if I saw it again. (185 characters)

This beer is probably one of my favorite lighter colored beer. I have introduced it to several friends and family. They all do a double take at the beer and a mental note for their shopping list. Devils Backbone for me came out of no where and have been producing a great product. (280 characters)

Taste: balanced and very flavorful with great toast, bread, and nut notes that finish crisp and clean with some reenforcing bitterness for balance

Mouthfeel: crisp, smooth, and very refreshing. Lower carbonation for a lager

Overall: Great balance, great flavor but missing something by not holding its head very well. This is one of those beers that should taste better than it does simply by looking better with a thick, fizzy head. One of those weird situations where appearance shouldn't, but kinda does, affect taste. However still a great beer overall!